A
few weeks ago, the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, told
Nigerians that the only international airport in the Federal Capital Territory
(FCT), the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, will be closed
for six weeks starting
on March 8, 2017 for a supposed “total
repairs on the runway.”
The
closure, he said, would allow Julius Berger to carry out total re-construction
on the badly damaged airport runway, explaining that though the runway would
still be put to use under the six months of rehabilitation, but the six weeks
would allow the midsection of the runway to be reconstructed.
As
said by him, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the reconstruction through
the emergency procurement procedure for work to commence; attributing the
urgency to the centrality, economy and the importance of Abuja to the general
administration of the country.
DigitalSENSE
Business News, gathered that the Federal Government could not afford to closure
of Abuja airport for a long time as repairs had is ongoing at the runway in the
last three months.
“From
start to finish of the runway, it will take six months. However, we will be
using the runway almost throughout the period except for about six weeks when
the runway will be closed,” Sirika declosed, adding that the government accepted
the design by the contractor, which entails that the runway will last for over
10 years on completion early next year.
During
the closure, Sirika said, Abuja bound passengers from any part of the world
will use Kaduna airport as alternative as arrangement had been concluded with
Kaduna State to convey the passengers to Abuja, whilst the state government
will provide security.
On
the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) with other countries, Sirika noted
government had signed BASA with 18 countries that Nigerians frequently visits
and do business with, which avails Nigeria to operate air services with 18
countries.
Although
initially, the National Assembly through the Senate rejected the proposal, but
a few weeks later seems to have backed down without a choice,
Whereas
the lawmakers seemingly bowed to pressure, they expressed reservations for the
proposed diversion of flights from Abuja to Kaduna, they urged FG to put every
advice into consideration, especially security.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and
the contractor, Messrs Julius Berger Nigeria Limited, were reportedly divided
over the total closure of the airport during the rehabilitation work. Even as
NSE called for a segmented repair model to allow landing and take-off on the
runway, Julius Berger stated that it would be dangerous to work on the runway
while it was in use.
The lawmakers had summoned stakeholders to a public
hearing including the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; the Minister
of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika; the Minister of Power, Works and Housing,
Babatunde Fashola; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed
Bello; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar; and heads of aviation
agencies, in addition to the Nigeria Police Force.
Outside the government, stakeholders had expressed
concern over the financial and security implications of the temporary
relocation to the Kaduna airport at a time the country is in economic
recession, insisting that the issue is not technical but managerial. According
to NSE President, Mr. Otis Anyaeji, stated that the society was against the
total closure of the Abuja airport, adding that the repair work could be
modified to allow flights.
He argued that the society held a meeting with the
relevant agencies penultimate Monday; the outcome of the meeting confirms that
it is possible to carry out the proposed reconstruction without shutting down
the airport, insisting that the state of the runway presently required that it
should be constructed right away.
Nonetheless Julius Berger, via its Managing Director,
Wolfgang Goetsch, dismissed the NSE’s recommendations as dangerous and
unrealistic, insisting that the runway should be shut down for safety reasons.
Explaining, “A runway can be repaired without closing, but it depends on the
scale of the repair. If there is only ups damage, then, it can be repaired in a
localised manner; that means it can be shut down in the night, a spot can be
repaired and in the morning it can be temporarily given edge for usage. But not
with the state of the runway here in Abuja with the extent of damage and
deterioration, just as Julius Berger guarantees the repairs will be completed
within the stipulated six weeks.
However, the foreign airlines were concerned about the
perimeter fence at the Kaduna airport, the size of its apron, whether it would
accommodate a considerable number of aircraft, and if airline officials were
going to be involved in the screening of passengers.
Other concerns raised by the carriers, according to the
minister, are issues bordering on catering services at the Kaduna airport; how
to tackle vehicular breakdown at the facility; inadequate number of boarding
gates; and how to track the luggage of passengers should there be issues of
missing belongings. In addition to how the various agencies of government that
would function during the six-week closure of the Abuja airport would be
managed.
FG further assured that all concerns are being tackled
and will continue to meet with stakeholders to further handle all other
concerns as we work towards using the Kaduna airport during the six-week
period, as Sirika asserted “95 per cent of these concerns have been addressed
and I can assure them that refueling of aircraft will not be a problem.’’
While commending the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence
Corps (NSCDC) for concluding plans to set up security outposts and deploy its
personnel along the Abuja-Kaduna road following proposed closure of the Abuja
Airport. Yet, there is a big line between pronouncement and actual
implementation.
Although for some political analysts, the relocation of
Abuja Airport could pass as part of the rumoured islamisation of the country,
hence, it offers an opportunity for the ruling party to stockpile arms for 2019
general elections, especially in the wake of the killings of over 800
Christians in the Southern Kaduna. Other school of thoughts and government have
dismissed these claims, saying its all the imagination of political opponents
and jobbers. Still, another school of thought said these claims can only sway
when justice is brought against those Southern Kaduna killings before the
closure.
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